Labyrinth -- A Second Beginning
by Lina Shankar
Summary: Jarreth, defeated and bitter, finds a young sorceress to help him battle Sarah one last time
1. A New Arrival

Aristocratic features idly watched with amusement as the triplet crystal globes twirled in hands finely crafted, suitable for such stature. Silvery hair mirrored by the spheres fell to velvet-clothed shoulders and equally silvered eyes shone with bittersweet memory. One by one, the spheres were tossed away, and made small 'ticks' of contact to the stone below. The palace was long since abandoned, after Sarah had rid him of all his subjects. Yes, indeed, this was Jarreth the Goblin King. But what was he now? A man without power, a man with but an empty shell to rule, but that was all going to change very, very soon. For as luck would have it, a young Sorceress, powerful though inexperienced, was to be his next target -- Sarah's rival.

Aeryn sighed heavily and frowned, her features clearly defined by the soft candlelight. Rose petals lay dying on the altar cloth and her dagger gleamed with ritualistic intent in her hand. Flames reflected in the metal danced and twirled for her as the tip carved a symbol into a pair of red candles. Slowly, she drew the candles inch by inch together, and then used a stick of red chalk to draw a heart around the crimson twins. Whispering soft words, she kissed the dagger and placed it at the base of the heart before drawing it between the candles and to the meeting of the arches, which bound the heart's symmetry. With her solemn ceremony finished, she kept the spirits instead of banishing them. She needed this to work. So, with another heavy sigh, she knelt before her altar and closed her eyes before putting her hands together and whispering softly in rhymes, begging the Gods and Goddesses presiding over love to bring her closer to one who would be her one true. Hours passed and the candles' flames flickered then died out -- a testament that it would be done.

Jarreth smirked triumphantly to himself as he delicately stepped down the stones leading to his bedchambers in the tower. This Sorceress, young as she may be, was a definite asset to him. The Major Arcana that she had drawn gave proof of her power that lied just beneath the skin if only she were to search for it. _Aeryn, such a lovely name; So much lovelier than Sarah, _Jarreth thought to himself, _and now, to lure her here…but how? _He clicked his tongue in thought and paced about the main hall of the castle. The Goblin city had been destroyed and all the Goblins fled, but he would rule them once again. Sarah's liberation wouldn't go without reward, oh no, he would make sure that she got exactly what was coming to her. The emancipation of his Goblin slaves had also irked his ego to the point of temperament flaring and now he was going to let her know just how appreciative of her interference he was. _Now, Sarah, it is my turn to destroy._

A wince of annoyance and a pillow over a head gave spark to the morning's light pouring in through the window. Aeryn growled to herself and hastily refastened the blinds to keep out the troublesome light of daybreak. Her mother was in the kitchen, humming some sort of old tune to herself as she prepared the midday meal, oblivious to last night's activities of deep meditation and prayer, scrying and spell crafting, witchery and invocation. True, her mother practiced the same, but never received the Major Arcana that Aeryn had once the cards were laid. _Saturday afternoon, one o'clock and all is well. _ Aeryn grumbled mentally to herself and finally swung her feet over the side of the bed. Finding her black-and-silver fuzzy slippers with her toes, she pulled her robe on over her nightgown and shivered. _Dammit, Mother, can't you just turn the damn heat on for once?!_ Aeryn cursed silently. She pulled a brush through her fine, dark hair and narrowed her blue eyes. _Today…is going…to suck._ She thought and sighed before pulling her hair back and securing it. Her light steps on the wooden stairs echoed through the remotely furnished great room of her large three-story house. Her mother turned from her diligent work at the stove and smiled. "Good morning." She said cheerfully. Aeryn growled and set her with a glare before raising her favorite finger and slumping onto the couch. Her mother smirked and shook her head before chuckling to herself. "Just like your father…" She said and went back to stirring. Aeryn growled in reply and crossed her arms over her chest, fixing her mother with another glare. She then raised herself off the plush cushions and made her way to the thermostat. The thermometer read 67 degrees Fahrenheit. She narrowed her eyes and glared in her mother's direction before turning it up to a nice 75 degrees. She sat back down on the couch and clicked the on button of the television remote control. After flipping through about 700 channels, she sighed and turned it off. 

"Gods. Why?!" She grumbled to herself and slapped her forehead. 

Her mother smirked in the kitchen. 

"Troubles, Aeryn?" She asked. 

Aeryn gave her another glare. "What do you think?" She snapped and grumbled as she wrapped a length of ribbon around her hand absentmindedly. Her mother smirked and rolled her eyes before shaking her head and sighing, "You know, you could try and play with some of the neighborhood kids instead of sitting around inside like every other Saturday." Aeryn frowned. "I don't _play_, Mother." She answered and began to ascend the stairs to go back into her bedroom. She looked about, bored and unsupervised, then her eyes settled on a strange book. The cover was black with gold lettering that reminded her of the old way of writing from the 1700's. It read 'The Labyrinth'. She curiously opened it and began reading. Before long, she'd read and absorbed every chapter as though it were holy. The grandfather clock's chiming in the hallway made her glance up to her own clock. 7:30 pm?! Yes, indeed. Her mother was already at work and her father had been dead ever since she could remember. She set the book down and frowned. She'd missed her favorite show. Ah well, there was always tomorrow. She found herself daydreaming then was snapped out of it by a soft voice by her ear. _Aeryn…_ it whispered. She looked towards the book. The old, worn pages, brown and tattered with age, seemed to call to her. Once more she heard her name whispered though no one was in the room with her, or so she though, until a gloved hand touched her shoulder.

Jarreth smirked at the initial stiffen of her muscles, then a jump of surprise followed by a soft shriek from the girl. "Now, now, Aeryn! So frightened!" He chuckled to himself and slid his gloved hand to her chin. He turned her face to view her delicate features seemingly carved from pure ivory. Her beautiful blue eyes, crystalline though widened with surprise, met his instantly. She gasped and tore away from him, her robe opening slightly to reveal the thin silk beneath. He smirked to himself and stood, towering over her sitting form with his own lithe figure. "Don't be afraid, my child, I am not here to harm you." He said. She looked him up and down. "W-who are you?!" She stammered as she closed her robe over her body. He chuckled. "You do not know me, my dear? I'm insulted." He said with mock distaste. She shook her head and pressed her back against the wall, breathing hard with the adrenaline rush she'd just received. He chuckled again and sat back down on the bed beside her, smirking as she jumped away from him again. "Calm yourself, my dear, I am but a visitor. Have you no inkling as to who I am, child, or are you just naïve?" He continued. She shook her head then looked to the book, then back to him. He smirked and looked over at the book. "Ah, I see you've heard of my labyrinth. And how did you enjoy your travel through the land of your imagination? Was it pleasant?" He asked. Aeryn gulped and nodded. His smirk grew a bit more malicious with foul intent, but it went unnoticed by the girl. "Very good. I am Jarreth, as you already know. I have come to ask you for a favor." He said, his tone as smooth as glass. Aeryn leaned forward, interested now, her eyes searching his face for signs of deceit. "Go on." She said in a low tone, wishing desperately to get away from the normalcy of everyday life. He chuckled and held out a small crystalline sphere. "I want you to come with me to my palace. Sarah made nice work of it, and now I need your help to reclaim all that I have lost." He explained carefully. Aeryn frowned and looked up at him. "And what's in it for me?" She asked. Jarreth's smirk never wavered. "You see, my dear… if you help me, anything you want is yours." He answered. Aeryn's smirk grew menacing. "Anything?" She asked. Jarreth nodded in agreement. "Anything you want." He verified. Aeryn leaned forward a bit and set her gaze onto his. "This Sarah… she wouldn't happen to be of my age, would she?" She asked. Jarreth nodded. "Yes, I do believe so." He answered. Aeryn, knowing just who Sarah was and hating her with her entirety, smirked and took the crystal from his hand. "Deal."


	2. Into The Labyrinth

Jarreth smirked to himself and nodded once, and then grinned at Aeryn. "Very well then, my young one, we shall depart to our kingdom." He said, and as she looked around, the setting changed. She was no longer sitting on a bed in her room but on a rock outside the palace gates. Jarreth smirked and swept a hand grandly towards his kingdom. "But first, my child, you must do as Sarah did – you have to get to the palace in order to be held worthy enough to help me complete my task." He said and smirked at Aeryn's expression. "WHAT?!" She exclaimed in outrage and turned quickly to face him. He chuckled and winked at her. "Fare thee well, my lady, until we meet again." He said and seemed to disappear into thin air. Aeryn sighed and glared at nothing in particular, then pouted atop the rock. What was she to do? "Well, for starters, you could get your ass into and out of the labyrinth, you idiot." She muttered to herself and stood. She walked to the entrance and frowned. The doors were large and looked heavy. "Remember, nothing is as it seems. Don't take anything for granted." She muttered. With a light push, the doors swung open and she stepped inside before they slammed shut. Little faeries giggled and landed on flowers. Where was good old Hoggle with his pesticides when you needed him? One of the faeries flew a bit too close and landed on her nose. Aeryn's eyes crossed as she stared at it, wide-eyed. The faerie giggled some more and then thumped her forehead before flying off. Aeryn growled and swatted it away as she walked past, in no mood for faerie games. 

Jarreth chuckled and watched from his perch on the balcony of the tower. _My, my, little Aeryn, such a temper for such a small girl, eh? _He thought to himself and formed a crystal in his hand. It was much easier to view what he wanted when he had one of his crystals in his hand. Aeryn's frowning face came into view, and though there was no sound, he could tell that she was grumbling and muttering something unladylike. He laughed quietly and shook his head. _Such curses could make a sailor blush!_ He grinned and tossed the crystal over his shoulder. The wind blew through his silver hair and he narrowed his equally silver eyes. _Soon revenge will be deliciously squared and served to you, Sarah…I did nothing wrong but love you and you torment me so? Ah, but how women work…will always be…a mystery._

Aeryn kicked a stone from her path and fumed. Things just were _not_ going well. She'd managed to turn herself around three times already, and she knew she was going in circles despite the changing scenery. With a smirk, she turned a different corner and flattened herself against the wall. _You want to play games, Jarreth? We'll play…_ With that, she tossed a rope over the stoned wall of the labyrinth and scaled it. Chuckling bemusedly to herself, she ran along the tops of the walls and jumped from stone to stone, feeling the texture beneath her boots as she did. She smirked and stopped momentarily to survey how far she'd gone, and finding the distance satisfactory, looked above her and smirked. "How do you like _that_, Jarreth?" She laughed. Her laughter was cut short by a scream of rage as something grabbed her around the waist. She snarled with fury and struggled, but it was no use against the large arm around her. Finally she looked up and saw it was a man. He was tall and clad in some sort of armor, his hair covering any visible features of his face. He looked down and smirked. "Going somewhere, little one?" He asked. She growled at him in answer and gave him a sharp kick in the leg. "Put me down!" She ordered and received nothing but a laugh from the larger man. "Feisty little one, aren'tcha? Well, we'll fix that as soon as we get home." He said with a malicious glint in his eyes. She glared up at him and stopped struggling altogether, though her eyes portrayed a vengeful defiance that looked as though it could bend steel on whim. He snorted at her and smirked. "How ladylike." He commented as she cursed at him, spitting and hissing like an angry feline after it has been dunked into a bucket of water. He was answered by even more spitting and hissing, growling and snarling, until finally he got tired of hearing her and slipped a damp cloth over her mouth. The chloroform took effect almost instantly and she went limp in his arms, silent except for her soft breathing. He chuckled and shook his head. "They get rowdier every time." He grinned and clicked his tongue before slipping through a passage in the labyrinth to his home – in The Forest of No Return.


	3. Nothing Is As It Seems

"I never wrote you a love song,  
Somehow words could not express what I needed to say.

_So I never wrote you a love song,_

_And now it's much, much too late cause you've gone away…  
But I will build this monument to remember all the love we once had.  
And I'll close my eyes and make it how it used to be._

_I swear I never stopped loving you with everything I am,_

_And it hurts so much to think you stopped loving me._

_You stopped loving me…_

_So I wish that I'd had written you a love song_

_And somehow you'd understood what it feels to be me_

_Because the Angel loves the Sprite forever_

_And does it unconditionally._

_But I will build this monument to remember all the love we once had._

_And I'll close my eyes and make it how it used to be._

_I swear I never stopped loving you with everything I am._

_And it hurts so much to think you stopped loving me.  
You stopped loving me…"_

The Cruxshadows – Monument 

****

Alrighty-then. I suppose you all are wondering why the hell Jarreth is inflicting revenge on Sarah yet saying such nice things about her. IT'S SARCASM! Heh, just thought I'd let you know. ^_~ Enjoy. ~Lina Shankar~

The dimly lit walls of the small cottage were blurred and vague as Aeryn opened her eyes. There were small pieces of wooden furniture scattered about the room and it was noticed that she was lying on a pile of furs. She frowned at the feel of a heavy shackle around her ankle and looked around to make sure her oh-so-generous woodsman wasn't in the room. He wasn't. Quickly she produced a small nail file from a holding place on her calf, surprised he hadn't checked for weaponry, and began to gently and patiently pick and prod away at the lock fastening the chain to the ring encircling her dainty ankle. A growl of frustration was heard as no success was retained and she hastily strapped the file back to her calf. School had taught her to keep anything sharp on hand, especially with the neighborhood bullies always prowling about with their fake alcoholic drinks and their pretend marijuana joints. Those were the kind that liked to rough you up because you were smaller than they were, and just because they could. The local law enforcement did nothing about it, only because no one had filed a civil suit of harassment against anyone. Figures. With a heavy sigh, Aeryn stood and decided to test the length of the chain, wondering of the diameter of which she would be allowed to move, which was not very far. Grumbling curses and things to make an Irish sailor blush, she paced about the room in an agitated manner, snarling and digging her long fingernails into the palms of her hands. She didn't have to wait long, because lo-and-behold! Her woodsman strode in, smirking and carrying a bucket of water. "Good, you're awake. I was hoping I wouldn't have to throw this on you and waste good cooking broth." He grinned. He was answered by a low snarl of indecencies and showed her favorite finger. He laughed and walked over to her, picked her up once more, and held her still as he unlocked her iron anklet and allowed her freedom to move. Her struggles and demands to be put down went unheeded as he strolled carelessly to a table and set her atop it. She glared up at him with fury and crossed her arms. "Are you very well satisfied? I would like to get the hell out of here." She said in a low growl and gave him a push, then was startled as the armor of a knight fell away from a skinny body. A boy! A boy, indeed! She gave a cry of rage and stood up, then gave him a glare that very well summed up her thoughts of him. He gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head just as his voice shrank back into that of a boy. "Well…uh….surprise?" The last thing he saw was the flash of red tint to her eyes as she clipped his jaw with her fist, knocking him out cold and sending his consciousness into a black abyss.

Jarreth laughed aloud at the sight. A girl, being no more than fifteen or so, and even smaller than would be assumed, had so much rage in her that she would draw her fist to a mere boy! His laughter echoed throughout the stone walls and he looked up to the clock. It read half past six. He smirked and shook his head. Such rage uncontained could cause trouble, especially if it were directed at him. _Oh, but my dear child, I still have many curves to throw you._ He thought to himself as he twirled a finger and the clock's hands sped up to ten. _The clock is ticking…_

Aeryn didn't notice the biting pain in her palms caused by her long fingernails piercing the skin and drawing that hot, dark blood that boiled with intense fury. Her vision blinded by anger and frustration, she made her own pathways as she hoped she was walking through The Forest of No Return. Cursing loudly for anyone to hear, she stamped her way to a fork in the trees. "Hn…a fork. A fork, a fork, a fork. A…FUCK!" She made a hideous growl of frustration and sat on a stone. To her extreme surprise, it moved. "Hey…what the?!" Her exclamation was cut off by another shift of the rock. "You know, it's very rude to sit on something without asking!" A voice said. She stood abruptly and looked down. It wasn't a rock, but a large turtle. "Oh great. I'm lost in the woods and what do I find? A fucking turtle!" She turned and looked up to the sky, "JARRETH!! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!!" She yelled and kicked a tree. She wasn't as surprised when it said, "Ow! Watch it!" and moved its branches. "It isn't ladylike for a girl to curse, you know." She heard the turtle say. She kicked it. "What's it to you?! You're not the one stranded here in this damned forest, all alone, with nothing to comfort you but the thought of gutting Jarreth with a spoon!!" She yelled. The turtle remained unaffected. "Well if you perhaps you were to ask for the way out, you would be told, young lady." It said. She glared at it. "And how would I know that it would be the right way? Huh?! Ever think of THAT?!" She said. The turtle clicked its tongue. "Haven't you ever heard the old saying? Right is right, wrong is wrong, left is right and right is long." It said. Aeryn slapped her forehead and looked down again. "Fine, fine, whatever. All I know is I want to get out of here and get to the castle. Do you know the way?" She asked. The turtle snorted. "After you've been kicking and treating me this way? Why should I tell you anything?" It said. Aeryn's eyes narrowed into darkened slits. "How about if you don't, I'll pick you up, carry you back to the cottage, and MAKE YOU A SOUP?!" She almost screamed. The turtle blinked a few times. "Well, if you're going to be ugly, I'll just be on my way." With that, it picked itself off the ground and in a tremendous gust of sand and dirt, was gone. Aeryn growled to herself and muttered curses in languages unknown to the tender world where Jarreth ruled over the Goblin City and his Labyrinth. How was she to get out? _Right is right, wrong is wrong, left is right and right is long. What the hell is **that** supposed to mean?!_ She thought to herself. She sat on the ground and closed her eyes, dispelling all of her thoughts but of that saying. _Right is right…wrong is wrong…left is right…_She sat up. _Duh, you idiot! Left is the right way! Wait a minute…right is long…hm. Take the long road right, and the left road could be…_ She smirked. She actually hummed as she walked patiently down the path leading to the right. After all, wasn't it also a saying that laziness would get you nowhere?

Sarah yawned and picked up the old book. It had been a while since she'd read. She'd been scared to pick up a book after the incident with Jarreth. But now, those days were long gone, and she was confident in her ability to beat him once more at his own little games. So carefully, she turned the first page and began reading. _On the ninth night of the restless June, with scandal flickering through her mind, the young child of the runes made her way to the land of the goblin king. Wait._ Sarah frowned. That wasn't how it had began the first time. She looked back down. The words remained the same. _Well that's strange…_ She thought to herself and frowned deeper. She flipped the pages, reading the details of this child of the runes. With a start, she realized what was happening – Jarreth was rewriting the rules. 


	4. Severance

Sarah could hardly believe what she saw.  The child of runes? Who was that? She continued reading but it abruptly stopped on the third page. Frantically she flipped through the rest of the pages, only to find that they were all blank. Her eyes wide with astonishment, she shook her head and convinced herself it had to be stress that was causing her to hallucinate. Yes, that had to be it. She read the last page over again: _"...Aeolian paused at the fork. Which way to turn? An old turtle had said, 'Right is right, wrong is wrong, left is right, and right is long.' What was that supposed to mean? After much careful debate, she took the road leading to the right..."_ That's where the page left off. Sarah frowned. Her long, dark brown braid swung slightly as she stood. She'd let it grow out. She began pacing the room, debating to herself whether the riddle was meant to show her the right way, or show her the way to her demise. _Right is right...wrong is wrong...left is right....right is long. If left is right, and right is long, then that means that left is the long way, right? No! Ugh!! I hate riddles! Alright...back up. Left is right. Is left the right way? No...because if right is long...wait. Left is right. Left is right...!_ She picked up the book and shook her head. _No! Go to the left! Don't go right! Aeolian!!_ As much as her mind screamed, she knew she couldn't do much more than scream in her mind. The person in the book couldn't hear her...or could they? With a smirk, Sarah wandered back into the room where it all started -- Toby's room.

Aeryn growled to herself. She'd been walking for hours, and she didn't see any castle. The turtle had tricked her...or had she gone the wrong way? With a groan of exasperation, she turned back only to find that there was no more path. There were only thick woods behind her. She growled and threw her hands up. "Dammit, Jarreth! How do you expect me to find my way if you won't give me a fuckin way out?!" She yelled to nothing in particular. She then heard a light chuckle behind her. She couldn't help but facevault as she turned. Jarreth stood there with one of his crystals in his hand. "Hello, my dear. Having a bit of trouble, are we?" His smirk was unnerving. She wanted to slap it right off his face. Instead, she crossed her arms and glared at him. "Trouble isn't even the half of it. First, you start off with mind tricks, and when I find a way around it, you throw out a kid that looks like some weirdo rapist con artist, and when I get out of that, you throw me a riddling turtle that managed to confuse me beyond belief. Come on! Why don't you just throw me a fuckin bone here?!" She exclaimed as she growled. Jarreth chuckled some more and cocked his head to the side. "Well I never told you it would be easy, Aeryn. Why don't you be a little more grateful, hm? I have been throwing you many hints, you just haven't gotten them. I gave you the boy because he would lead you to the castle gates. I gave you the turtle after you got rid of the boy because he told you the way to the city. So, who's the one throwing mind tricks now? You are. You're just mad because I didn't just show you the straight way and let you right in. I told you, Aeryn, you have to show me that you are worthy of helping me." He said. Aeryn stared at him. "Why should I be the one worthy of helping you?! _You_ came to _me_ asking for help!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. Jarreth smirked and cocked his head to the other side. "You think I'm just going to trust you right away after my incident with Sarah? I think not. You have to prove yourself trustworthy to me, and then I will discuss with you what is to be done." He replied, "And until then, you will have to continue this escapade of yours until you find my castle. Now, if you don't mind, my dear, I have little to do and so much time to do it." With that, he disappeared, leaving behind a very irate Aeryn balling her fists and punching various objects along the way.


End file.
